Rod stiffening assembly, method of using the same, use thereof, and strut useful to embody the rod stiffening assembly

ABSTRACT

A stiffening assembly for stiffening a rod is provided. The stiffening assembly can include a pair of struts having an elongated base having opposite top and bottom surfaces. The struts can extend along either sides of the rod and be connected to one another in a “back-to-back” configuration, with the top surfaces facing outwardly in opposite directions. When connecting the struts together, a cavity is defined therebetween, the cavity being adapted to enclose the rod therein, effectively stiffening the rod. Also, a method of use is provided, and finally, a strut useful to embody the stiffening assembly is also provided.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field generally relates to a rod stiffening assembly forsurrounding and stiffening a rod. More particularly, the stiffeningassembly is used to stiffen hanger rods used in the constructionindustry. Also, the technical field relates to a method of use and a useof the rod stiffening assembly. Finally, the technical field alsorelates to a strut useful to embody the above stiffening assembly.

BACKGROUND

Hanger rods, threaded rods and other similar accessories are well-knownin the art. They are widely used in the construction industry forhanging and/or strengthening purposes, among others. For example, airducts are generally elevated/hung from the ceiling using a plurality ofhanger rods. These rods often require stiffening to avoid damages,injuries and/or related costs and expenses. This is especially true inregions regularly affected by seismic activities.

Rod stiffeners are known in the art for various applications, such asplumbing, ventilation, electricity, refrigeration and fire protection.Several known installations/assemblies used for stiffening hanger rodsinclude a strut adapted to surround the hanger rod and several clipsconfigured to be tightly attached to the strut, effectively engaging andsqueezing the rod against a surface of the strut.

However, these assemblies, and other known hanger rod stiffeners, oftenrequire a plurality of parts needing assembly, such as theaforementioned clips. Therefore, installation can be quitetime-consuming and involves keeping track of all the pieces included inthe assembly.

There is thus a strong need for a new strut or a stiffening assemblywhich, by virtue of its design, overcomes at least some prior artdeficiencies. More particularly, a stiffening assembly which is easilyinstalled, therefore minimizing installation time and related costs.

Also, there is a strong need for a new method for the stiffening a rodusing a stiffening assembly as described above, which method overcomesat least some prior art deficiencies.

Also, there is a strong need for a new use of the strut described aboveto overcome at least some prior art deficiencies, when embodying thestiffening assembly described above.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect, a strut for use in a stiffening assemblyfor stiffening rods is provided. The strut includes an elongated basehaving opposite top and bottom surfaces, and a recess extending alongthe bottom surface. The recess is adapted to form, when the strut isconnected to a second strut in a «back-to-back» configuration, a cavityadapted to receive a rod therein.

According to a possible embodiment, the recess includes an engagementsurface adapted to contact the rod.

According to another possible embodiment, the engagement surface issubstantially parallel to the elongated base.

According to another possible embodiment, the engagement surface isprovided with a plurality of holes positioned along the length of thestrut.

According to another possible embodiment, the recess includes lateralsurfaces extending from the engagement surface, wherein the lateralsurfaces and the rod define a play therebetween when the rod ispositioned within the recess.

According to another possible embodiment, the play is less than aquarter inch of running course of the rod within the cavity.

According to another possible embodiment, the strut includes a pair oflegs extending outwardly on either side of the recess.

According to another possible embodiment, the strut is connected to thesecond strut using mechanical fasteners, and each leg has an outer edgewhich is bent inwardly, defining a lip, and wherein each lip is J-shapedand adapted to facilitate positioning and fastening of the mechanicalfasteners.

According to another possible embodiment, the strut has a substantiallyW-shaped cross-section.

According to another possible embodiment, the strut is made from a sheetof metal bent into shape using a roll forming machine.

According to another possible embodiment, the strut extends forsubstantially an entire length of the rod.

According to another possible embodiment, the cavity is substantiallyrectangular.

According to another possible embodiment, the strut further includes aspacer strip extending along the bottom surface to prevent directcontact between the strut and the second strut.

According to another aspect, a use of a strut, as described above, as atrapeze hanging installation is provided.

According to another aspect, a use of a strut, as described above, incombination with a second strut, for stiffening rods is provided.

According to another aspect, a stiffening assembly for stiffening rodsis provided. The stiffening assembly including a first strut and asecond strut as described above.

According to another aspect, a method of stiffening a rod using astiffening assembly as described above is provided. The method includesthe steps of:

-   -   positioning the rod in the recess extending along the bottom        surface of the first strut;    -   positioning the second strut on the first strut in a        “back-to-back” configuration, enclosing the rod therebetween;        and    -   tightening the rod between the struts by connecting the struts        to one another using mechanical fasteners.

According to a possible embodiment, the first and second struts areidentical.

According to another aspect, a use of the stiffening assembly, asdescribed above, for stiffening rods is provided.

According to another aspect, a seismic installation is provided. Theseismic installation includes the stiffening assembly described above,and is adapted to reduce and/or prevent damages to structures and/orhung equipment using rods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a stiffening assemblyaccording to an embodiment, showing a pair of struts positioned oneither side of a rod.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the stiffening assembly shown in FIG. 1,showing the struts being assembled around the rod, and being in contactwith each other.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a strut according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a stiffening assembly, showing apair of struts positioned in a back-to-back configuration in accordancewith an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a strut having longer legs, inaccordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a top schematic view of a strut showing the positions ofvarious types of holes along the strut, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a stiffening assembly, showing atool tightening a fastener, according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 8 through 11 illustrate the various steps included in stiffening arod using a stiffening assembly.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a stiffening assemblyaccording to an embodiment, showing a pair of struts positioned oneither side of a rod, with a strut having spacer strips connectedthereto.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a stiffening assembly according toan embodiment, showing a pair of spacer strips separating the struts.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a pair of struts being used as atrapeze hanging installation, according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, the same numerical references refer tosimilar elements. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity and clarity,namely so as to not unduly burden the figures with several referencesnumbers, not all figures contain references to all the components andfeatures, and references to some components and features may be found inonly one figure, and components and features of the present disclosurewhich are illustrated in other figures can be easily inferred therefrom.The embodiments, geometrical configurations, materials mentioned and/ordimensions shown in the figures are optional, and are given forexemplification purposes only.

Furthermore, although the present invention may be used in the buildingconstruction industry, for example for stiffening hanger rods used inthe suspension of pipes, conduits or similar structures, it isunderstood that it may be used in relation to other industries and/orfor other purposes. For this reason, expressions such as “rod”, “hangerrod”, “threaded rod”, “suspension rod”, etc. as used herein should notbe taken as to limit the scope of the present invention to being used inrelation with the building construction industry. These expressionsencompass all other industry and application with which the presentinvention could be used and may be useful.

In addition, although the optional configurations as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings comprises various components and although theoptional configurations of the stiffening assembly as shown may consistof certain geometrical configurations as explained and illustratedherein, not all of these components and geometries are essential andthus should not be taken in their restrictive sense, i.e. should not betaken as to limit the scope of the present disclosure. It is to beunderstood that other suitable components and cooperationsthereinbetween, as well as other suitable geometrical configurations maybe used for the stiffening assembly, and corresponding parts, as brieflyexplained and as can be easily inferred herefrom, without departing fromthe scope of the disclosure.

As will be explained below in relation to various embodiments, a rodstiffening assembly is provided. As will be readily understood by aperson skilled in the art, the rod stiffening assembly can be used asconstruction hardware configured for reinforcing rods, such as hangerrods used for supporting air ducts within buildings for example.Moreover, it should also be understood that reinforcing rods using thestiffening assembly can mitigate/reduce vibrations and/or noises relatedto various situations. For example, the stiffening assembly can beeffective in mitigating damages due to seismic activities such asearthquakes.

Broadly described, the rod stiffening assembly includes a pair of strutsparallelly and oppositely extending along a length of the rod. Thestruts can be adapted to connect to one another in order totighten/stiffen a hanger rod between each other. In some embodiments,each strut can be adapted to surround substantially half of the hangerrod along its length. Furthermore, mechanical fasteners, such as metalscrews, can be used to connect the struts together in order to securethe rod therebetween, effectively stiffening it.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a stiffening assembly 10 in accordance withone embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, the stiffening assembly 10includes a first strut 12 and a second strut 14 extending alongside ahanger rod 16. Each strut can oppositely extend along a length of therod 16 with respect to the other one of the struts. As seen in FIGS. 1and 2, the struts are mirroring each other along the rod 16. In thepresent embodiment, the struts 12, 14 are substantially identical toeach other and are adapted to be connected to one another so as torespectively enclose the rod 16 between each other. More specifically,connecting the struts together defines a cavity therebetween, saidcavity being adapted to house the rod in a manner that will be describedhereinbelow.

Now referring to FIG. 3, in addition to FIGS. 1 and 2, the strutsinclude an elongated body, or base 18, having a top surface 20 oppositea bottom surface 22. It should be understood that the top and bottomsurfaces are substantially flat and parallel to one another along alength of the struts to provide an even thickness to the struts 12, 14.Furthermore, the bottom surface 22 can be provided with a recess 24extending along the strut. More particularly, the elongated base 18 canbe shaped and sized to define the recess 24 along the bottom surface 22.In this embodiment, the recess 24 is located substantially in the centerof the base 18 and can be adapted to surround a portion of the rod whenassembling the stiffening assembly 10. As such, connecting the struts ina “back-to-back” configuration, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, aligns therecesses 24 and therefore defines the aforementioned cavity 26 (FIG. 4).Moreover, since the struts are preferably identical, connecting thebottom surfaces 22 to one another should leave no space and/orinterstices between the struts 12, 14, therefore increasing thestrength/sturdiness of the assembly 10. As such, it should be understoodthat, in some embodiments, the rod 16 can be surrounded on all sides(i.e., 360 degrees) when enclosed within the cavity 26.

In this embodiment, the struts can be connected together usingmechanical fasteners extending through holes provided along the base 18of each strut 12, 14. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6, theholes 28 are provided at an interval of four inches along the length ofthe strut and at an interval of two inches between each side of therecess 24. However, it is appreciated that the holes 28 can be providedat any suitable intervals along the strut. It should also be understoodthat the holes 28 of the first strut 12 do not necessarily align withthe holes 28 of the second strut 14 when positioning the strutsback-to-back. Therefore, it is appreciated that the mechanical fastenerscan extend through the holes 28 of one strut, and through a thickness ofthe base 18 of the other strut. It should be noted that this preventsthe fasteners from having to extend through the base 18 of each strut,which can result in the fasteners not being able to pierce the secondstrut after having already pierced the first one due to wear. In someembodiments, the mechanical fasteners are preferably installed using asuitable power tool in order to have said fasteners extend through thethickness of one of the struts.

Now referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in addition to FIG. 3, the recesses 24have an engagement surface 30 adapted to engage/contact the rod. Itshould be readily understood that the rod can be maintained within thecavity 26 by being squeezed between the engagement surface 30 of eachrecess 24. In some embodiments, the engagement surface 30 issubstantially flat and parallel to the base 18. Alternately, theengagement surface 30 can have any suitable shape adapted to effectivelyengage the rod, such as a half-moon shape for example. When the strutsare assembled, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the shape of the cavity 26 ismostly defined by the engagement surfaces 30 and lateral surfaces 32 ofthe recesses 24. In this embodiment, the lateral surfaces 32 aresubstantially perpendicular to the engagement surfaces 30. However, itis appreciated that the cavity 26 can have any suitable shape, such as acircular shape, or a trapezoidal shape for example. In some embodiments,and as illustrated in FIG. 7, the lateral surfaces 32 do not contact therod 16 and define a play between said rod 16 and each lateral surface32. In this embodiment, the play between the rod and the lateralsurfaces is preferably less than a quarter inch of running course of therod within the cavity 26. As such, during solicitation of the rod 16,for example during an earthquake, the rod can slightly move/shift withinthe cavity 26, thus reducing the risks of having the stiffening assembly10 fracture and/or break due to the vibrations/forces.

Still referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the struts 12, 14 can comprise legs 34extending outwardly from the base 18 on either side of the recess 24.More specifically, in the present embodiment, the legs 34 extendperpendicularly from the top surface 20 of the base 18 and are adaptedto increase the strut's resistance to compression, torsional and/orflexion forces. In alternate embodiments, it is appreciated that thelegs 34 can extend from the top surface 20 at any suitable angle and canhave any suitable length. For example, the embodiment of FIG. 5illustrates the cross-section of a strut having longer legs 34 which canimpart better resistance/load-bearing capabilities to the strut, amongother characteristics. In some embodiments, the legs 34 can include anouter edge 36 which can be bent inwardly, defining a lip 38 at the endof each leg 34. In the illustrated embodiments, the lip 38 is J-shapedand is adapted to further increase the strength/sturdiness of the strut.It is appreciated that the lip 38 can alternatively have a p-shape, withthe outer edge 36 being bent in a manner to come back and contact theleg 34.

Referring to FIG. 7, the lip 38 can be shaped and sized to guide a tool40, such as a nutsetter 41, to align with the mechanical fasteners 42.More particularly, in this embodiment, the J-shaped lip 38 can bevertically aligned with the holes 28 along the base 18 to facilitatealignment of the mechanical fasteners 42 with the holes. As such, thetool 40 can be guided to accurately have the needed/required position tocenter the mechanical fastener 42 within the hole 28 each time.Furthermore, the lip 38 can be shaped and sized so that the tool 40 willnot get stuck on the outer edge 36 or on the lip 38 itself whenpositioning/tightening the mechanical fasteners 42. This allows for amore accurate installation of the fasteners, and therefore acceleratesthe overall installation of the stiffening assembly 10.

In some embodiments, the struts are respectively formed from a sheet ofmetal (e.g. steel, stainless steel, aluminum, etc.) bent into thedesired shape. In a preferred embodiment, the struts are made from asheet of steel shaped through a roll forming machine into the desiredshape, such as a W-shaped cross-section, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5.In some embodiments, the sheet is an 18 or 22-gauge sheet of steel,which translates to a thickness of 0.049 or 0.031 inches respectively.It will be appreciated that any suitable thickness of sheet metal can beused and rolled/bent into the desired shape. In this embodiment, thesheet of steel can be bent at least eight times to form the legs 34, thelips 38 and the recess 24 of the strut. It should be understood thatrecesses 24 and/or legs 34 of different shapes and sizes can requireadditional or less bends when shaping the struts. Moreover, the metalcan be provided with a finish/coating to provide greater protection asis well known in the art. In the present embodiment, the metal isprovided with a zinc coating by hot dipping the steel coil at the millprior to fabrication (e.g. prior to cutting into sheets). However, othercoatings and/or finishes can be suitable such as using a special powdercoating for example.

With reference to FIGS. 8 to 11, a method for stiffening a rod 16 usingthe stiffening assembly 10 as described above will now be described.Firstly, the first and second struts 12, 14 are positioned on eitherside of the rod 16 requiring stiffening (FIG. 8). Afterwards, the firststrut 12 is pushed up against the rod 16 so that the rod is positionedwithin the recess 24, preferably in the center thereof, and comes incontact with the engagement surface 30 (FIG. 9). Then, the second strut14 is positioned along the rod 16 such that the bottom surfaces of thestruts are in contact with one another (FIG. 10). Therefore, the rod 16is enclosed within the cavity 26 and contacts the engagement surfaces ofeach strut. Finally, the rod 16 is secured within the cavity 26 byfixedly connecting the struts to one another using mechanical fasteners42 (FIG. 11).

In alternate embodiments, and with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, thestiffening assembly 10 can be provided with a spacer strip 44 providedbetween the first and second struts 12, 14. In this embodiment, theassembly 10 is provided with two spacer strips 44 provided on eitherside of the cavity 26. The spacer strips 44 can be adapted to preventdirect contact between the struts, and can provide a cavity having agreater cross-sectional area. In other words, the cavity 26 can beexpanded and configured to house bigger rods 16. As seen in FIG. 13,each spacer strip 44 can extend from each lateral surface 32 to thecorresponding leg 34, effectively contacting the entire width of thebottom surface of the struts. In some embodiments, the spacer strip 44extends for the entire length of the bottom surface. However, it isappreciated that a plurality of smaller spacer strips 44 positionedalong the length of the bottom surface can be used. In this embodiment,the spacer strip 44 can be made from the same metallic material as thestruts. Alternatively, the spacer strip 44 can be made of a polymericmaterial, such as Teflon, a rubber material such as Neoprene, or anyother suitable material.

In some embodiments, the spacer strip 44 can be attached to one of thestruts prior to installing the stiffening assembly 10. For example, thespacer strip 44 can be connected to the strut prior to connecting thepair of struts 12, 14 together about the rod 16, as illustrated in FIG.10. The spacer strip 44 can be connected to the strut duringmanufacture, for example, using rivets, adhesives, mechanical fastenersand/or in any other suitable manner. In an embodiment, each strut isprovided with one spacer strip 44 positioned along the bottom surface 22so that when it is connected to a second identical strut (i.e. with aspacer strip 44 positioned along the bottom surface—on the same side ofthe recess 24), the spacer strips 44 will be located on either side ofthe cavity 26. Alternatively, and with reference to FIG. 12, every otherstrut can be provided with two spacer strips 44 respectively provided oneach side of the recess 24, said strut being configured to be connectedto a strut having no spacer strips 44 connected thereto.

Now referring to FIG. 14, it will be appreciated that the struts canalso be used as a suspension assembly 50, such as a trapeze hanger usedfor effectively suspending structures within a building for example. Insome embodiments, the bottom surface of the strut can be provided withcentral holes adapted to have a rod extend therethrough and be securedtherein using any known fasteners, such as hexagonal nuts for example.More particularly, and as illustrated in FIG. 6, the engagement surface30 can be provided with central holes 52 sequentially spaced along thelength of the strut. In this embodiment, the central holes 52 can have alarger diameter than the holes 28 located on either side of the recess24. It should be understood that rods 16 used for hanging purposestypically have a larger cross-sectional area than common fasteners(screws, bolts, nails, etc), and therefore require larger holes toextend through. A non-limiting example of the struts being used as thesuspension assembly 50 is illustrated in FIG. 14. In this embodiment, aportion of an air ventilation duct 54 is suspended using a pair ofstruts extending underneath the air ventilation duct 54 and beingconnected at both ends to a rod 16. Moreover, the smaller holes 28 (FIG.6) located on either side of the recess 24 can be used to insert screwsin order to further fasten the strut onto the air duct, thus solidifyingthe installation.

In some embodiments, two struts connected to one another in a«back-to-back» configuration, as described hereinabove, can be used as atrapeze hanger installation. It should be readily understood that, inthis embodiment, the struts are not used to stiffen a rod therebetween.In fact, in order to use the strut assembly as a hanging installation,the cavity, which initially housed the rod, needs to be empty, or atleast substantially empty, to allow rods to extend through the centralholes 52 (FIG. 6) of the struts.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing disclosure that there isprovided a rod stiffening assembly, which comprises a pair of strutsadapted to engage and enclose the rod within a cavity defined whenassembling the struts together. As such, the assembly can offersubstantial improvements over the known prior art in that, in virtue ofits design and components, as explained herein, it advantageouslyenables to mainly reduce the time required to assemble the stiffeningassembly around a hanger rod, among others. However, the scope of theclaims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth inthe examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistentwith the description as a whole.

1. A strut for use in a stiffening assembly for stiffening a rod, thestrut comprising: a base having opposite top and bottom surfacesextending along a length of the strut; and a recess extending along thebottom surface, the strut being adapted to be connected to a secondstrut in a «back-to-back» configuration whereby the bottom surfacecontacts a bottom surface of the second strut and positions the recessopposite a recess of the second strut thereby forming a cavity adaptedto completely surround the rod such that the rod is stiffened betweenthe first and second strut along the entire length of the strut.
 2. Thestrut according to claim 1, wherein the recess comprises an engagementsurface adapted to contact the rod, the engagement surface extendingalong the entire length of the strut.
 3. The strut according to claim 2,wherein the engagement surface is substantially parallel to the base. 4.The strut according to claim 2, wherein the engagement surface isprovided with a plurality of holes positioned along the length of thestrut.
 5. The strut according to claim 2, wherein the recess includeslateral surfaces extending from the engagement surface, wherein thelateral surfaces and the rod define a play therebetween when the rod ispositioned within the recess.
 6. The strut according to claim 5, whereinthe play is less than a quarter inch of running course of the rod withinthe cavity.
 7. The strut according to claim 1, comprising a pair of legsextending outwardly on either side of the recess.
 8. The strut accordingto claim 7, wherein the strut is connected to the second strut usingmechanical fasteners, and wherein each leg has an outer edge which isbent inwardly, defining a lip, and wherein each lip is J-shaped andadapted to facilitate positioning and fastening of the mechanicalfasteners.
 9. The strut according to claim 1, said strut having asubstantially W-shaped cross-section.
 10. The strut according to claim1, said strut being made from a sheet of metal bent into shape using aroll forming machine.
 11. The strut according to claim 1, said strutextending for substantially an entire length of the rod.
 12. The strutaccording to claim 1, wherein the cavity is substantially rectangular.13. The strut according to claim 1, further comprising a spacer stripextending along the bottom surface to prevent direct contact between thestrut and the second strut.
 14. A stiffening assembly for stiffening arod, the stiffening assembly comprising a first strut and a second strutas defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second strut are connectedtogether in a «back-to-back» configuration.
 15. A method of stiffening arod using a stiffening assembly according to claim 14, the methodcomprising the steps of: a. positioning the rod along the bottom surfaceof the first strut; b. positioning the second strut on the first strutin a “back-to-back” configuration, enclosing the rod therebetween; andc. tightening the rod between the struts by connecting the struts to oneanother using mechanical fasteners.
 16. The method of stiffening a rodaccording to claim 15, wherein the first and second struts areidentical.
 17. A seismic installation provided with the stiffeningassembly according to claim 14, the seismic installation being adaptedto reduce and/or prevent damages to structures and/or hung equipmentusing rods.
 18. The strut according to claim 1, wherein the first andsecond struts are identical.